The traditional practice in turkey hunting involves getting up early, walking in under the cover of darkness, and trying to call in birds off the roost. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, sleeping in is an option, as I learned during a hunt with Adrian Hare. That advice carries a lot of weight coming from Hare, a legend in Ontario turkey hunting. He has likely called in more turkeys than anyone else in the province. A Quaker Boy pro staff member, he has decades of experience, has completed 15 grand slams, works as a guide, and has hunted turkeys extensively on both sides of the border. I arrived at Hare’s home around 8:30 a.m. on the morning of our hunt. He explained that the plan was to hunt run-and-gun style, checking several spots near his home in Simcoe County. Hunting later in the morning plays into the theory that gobblers face less competition from real hens after they’ve finished with the birds they flew down with. But that’s not the only reason Hare prefers to hunt later in the day. “I’m getting too old,” he joked. “I spent so many years getting up at 4 a.m. Over the years, I found I shoot as many after 8. In fact, more. So why get out of bed at 4?” Cranking it up As we stopped at the first location, Hare explained his practice is to use yelps only until he gets a bird to answer, then he will move to more aggressive calling like cuts. His yelps didn’t receive a reply, either from his mouth call or box call for more volume. At the following location, he used binoculars to scan the field, explaining he is a big believer in using optics to scan for birds. As the hunt unfolded, more of Hare’s hunting style came out. After checking several locations, we spotted a bird in a field adjacent to a woodlot. “There’s no way we can get to where we need to be without him spotting us,” he said. “If he walks back in, it would make it accessible for us.” We waited a few minutes, and the gobbler faded into the woods, and then we drove to the other side of the woodlot. Going into a mature deciduous woodlot, a hen crossed our path. Hare explained his strategy was to start with yelps again. “Cutting
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